Hi BEST members,

The Obama administration revealed rules that will regulate carbon 
pollution from power plants by 30 percent. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) formally announced the new regulations on power plants 
which are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, nearly 40 
percent. The regulations would reduce carbon pollution from power plants 
by 2030. The climate crisis we are experiencing is heading in the right 
direction but there has been a backlash about these new rules. A lobby 
group for the coal industry, which will be affected the most, said the 
rules would hurt the economy and can lead America to an energy crisis. 
The rules could affect 1,600 plants which many are about 50 years old. 
But overall the rules could increase pollution savings and even lower 
medical bills.

The EPA will set individual reductions target for each state and they 
will have until 2016 to plan a strategy to meet the targets. This is an 
essential step to dealing with the problem of climate change. We can 
switch to a cleaner-burning natural gas, form cap-and-trade markets, and 
this opens up to using more renewable energy.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/02/obama-rules-coal-climate-change

"Obama Unveils Historic Rules to Reduce Coal Pollution by 30%." Suzanne 
Goldenberg. The Guardian.
June 3 2014

Thanks,

Natalie Chavez
Undergraduate Intern
2014 BioEnergy & Sustainability School
Soil and Water Science Department
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